COCKTAILS

SPOONBAR, Healdsburg - I wrote last issue about Spoonbar in Sonoma County. It’s up to you get out there… and fast… for some of the best cocktails in all of the Bay Area (no surprise) from Mr. Scott Beattie.

Ask for the full cocktail menu beyond the one you get when first seated. It’s a glory of new creations, featuring edible flowers and the herbal, produce-driven beauties Beattie has perfected since Cyrus days. There’s the added bonus of classics done with a Beattie sensibility. I get giddy at the site of three versions each of Old-Fashioneds, Negronis, Manhattans and Sazeracs, the holy foursome of cocktails.

I chose the Tempus Fugit Negroni ($8.50). How could I not? Made with Ransom’s impeccable Old Tom Gin, Dolin Rouge Vermouth, orange zest and Tempus Fugit’s brilliant Gran Classico Bitter, it’s a musky, full revelation.

On the classics front, Beattie’s Dark ‘n Stormy trumps all others. There’s an Appleton Reserve version for $7.50 (or pitcher for five at $37.50). I had the Ron Zacapa Solera 23 (a rum I’ve long been a fan of already) version for $9/$45. With fresh lime juice and Angostura bitters, Beattie adds drops of essential ginger oil for a pure, full taste. Locally grown sunflower leaves are a vivid garnish.

Going the creative Beattie route is equally thrilling. John Chapman ($10.5) is a taste of fall. When you mix St. George Whiskey and Pear Eau de Vie with lemon, apple, ginger and a Thai coconut foam, you get magic. Ditto, on the other side of the spectrum, with the Summery  Siddartha ($9.5). This one utilizes Hangar One Buddha’s Hand Citron Vodka with Beefeater Gin, St. Germain Elderflower, lemon, Thai coconut milk and lemon verbena. It’s silky, seductively bright and garden fresh.

Trust a drink from Beattie and try the spectrum. I am plotting a return…

BAR AGRICOLE, SoMa - I’ve been asked about my take on the new and long awaited hotspot from Thad Vogler. Though I tried three cocktails and bites at a pre-opening event for Bar Agricole, I did not walk away with enough of a stand-out yet to give you a proper report, though I’m sure one will be forthcoming.

I will say the space is strikingly unique, welcome in our city of understated dining rooms. It’s forward-thinking and fresh, from the photography behind the bar, to radiant light fixtures, to the awesome front garden and patio.

15 ROMOLO, North Beach - I’m always happy here… you hear me say it enough. The 15 Romolo guys do it again with two divergent cocktails. One is Spaghetti Western ($9), it’s cool name belying the crazy candy taste that happens when rye and Campari meld with sweet tomatoes (love the plump tomato garnish), lemon and a Pilsner float. The other, the spirituous bitter of Lo Scandinavo ($11) with North Shore aquavit, Gran Classico, Carpano Antica… a Scandinavian approach to a Negroni.

TAMARINDO ANTJOERIA’s MIEL BAR and REVIVAL BAR & KITCHEN, Oakland and Berkeley - And in the East Bay, Tamarindo Antojeria opened a tequila bar, Miel, in half of their restaurant, a chic, shining temple of all things tequila. Besides a fine selection of tequilas by the pour, cocktails like the Mezcalito ($12) highlight Del Maguey’s Creme de Mezcal with a little fresh orange and volcanic salt rim. They do a nice job on their margaritas and Paloma, too.

Revival Bar & Kitchen is a welcome cocktail stop in downtown Berkeley, even if the menu (food and drink) is similar to many you’ve seen in SF in recent years. They do classics, like Death in the Afternoon, Bourbon Crusta and Jalisco Sour, but also whip up specials of their bartender’s doing, fresh with the likes of lavender, lemon and egg white.

REZA ESMAILI’S ROSEBUD, served at SF CHEFS’ SPICE PARTY

This is a layered, aromatic aperitivo created by Reza for SF Chefs and one of my favorite drinks of the week. He was gracious enough to share the recipe…

Rosebud
1oz vodka
.5oz Hendrick’s gin
1oz Lillet Blanc
.5oz Aperol
3 drops rosewater
1 “Russia Rose” or mini, dry rose used for asian teas

-stir ingredients for approx 10 seconds
-strain into two sherry or port glasses
-garnish with rose
serves two

SPIRITS

MINISTRY OF RUM – Another year of Ministry of Rum, a fine rum tasting event put on by rum expert (and a downright great guy), Ed Hamilton (read about last year’s here).

Many of last year’s same vendors were there at Waterfront Hotel/Miss Pearl’s Jam House in Jack London Square. Bartending greats shook cocktails as we sipped through various rums.

Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva stands out with a caramelized, spiced nose and buttery spice and tobacco flavors. Cruzan’s smooth Single Barrel Rum is an easy after-dinner sip: a light but mature, pleasing rum at the right price (retails from $27-35 online).

Despite the greater aged 8 and 12 year El Dorado rums, I prefer the 5 year cask-aged version. It’s medium-bodied, lively and redolent of the tropics with toasted coconut and fruit notes.

Each time I’ve tasted them, I enjoy honey and dark chocolates notes in Santa Teresa 1796, aged in Solera oak barrels, and Flor de Cana’s rich, charred oak and dark caramel-tinged Centenario 18 year.

Black Tot Rum was the big hoopla of the afternoon, a 40-year rum doled out in dropper-sized tastes. From the little I could gather, it was nuanced though hardly revelatory, especially compared to whiskies of similar age. Though I find some younger rums more exciting, Black Tot was nonetheless an excellent slice of history and a worthy sip.

When it comes to rum, I can’t help but return to Zacapa rums as favorites, both the Centenario and the XO.

Here’s to next year, and thanks, Ed, for ever furthering our knowledge and showing us the scope of rum.

HEAVEN HILL – Heaven Hill has an enviable line-up including some of my favorite bourbons in existence. I jumped at a chance to stop in at 83 Proof on my way to judging a whisky contest to sip one of my top bourbons (another being Pappy Van Winkle 20 and 23 year): Parker’s Heritage.

I fell in love after first trying their anniversary edition at Whiskyfest. Tasting Parker’s 27 year again is fabulous every time. Sip their Golden Anniversary edition and you’ve died and gone to bourbon heaven.

I adore rye, and Rittenhouse 25-year Rye is surely a fine one, but I’m not sure I gained much more from the added years. When it comes to aged rye, my love still lies with Van Winkle Family Reserve 13-yr Rye, which is, tragically, very hard to come by.

ST. GEORGE’s AGUA LIBRE - Don’t even get me started on how much I love St. George Spirits. I’ve been a fan for years, from my rush to purchase their incomparable Absinthe Verte upon release, to the loss of my last bottle of Agua Azul Reposado until they make a tequila again in the future, I’ve been proud to have them in the Bay Area. Tours, release parties, any event at the distillery is memorable.

I won’t go into the joys and secrets of a private tour from distiller Dave Smith last week, replete with tastes, whiffs and ecstasies from bottles, test tubes and barrels of unreleased products. Experimentation is alive and well at St. George/Hangar One and it thrills me to witness it.

In the meantime, there’s two brand new releases to enjoy. The first US rum agricole grown from US sugarcane, Agua Libre comes in two forms: dark, aged rum and white, unaged, both grassy and smooth. Also, the second batch of Firelit Coffee Liqueur was just released with dark chocolate notes from the Blue Bottle beans.

The Latest in Cocktails in NEW YORK CITY

My May New York adventures brought me to some of the city’s newer treasures I’ve been desiring to partake in… a couple of them literally just opened weeks before, others open about a year.

Brand new

CIENFUEGOS (upstairs through Carteles sandwich shop), East Village – Open barely a month when I visited, this intriguing new rum bar is through a Cuban sandwich shop just a couple doors down from Death & Co. (and same owners).

A rum-centric bar with punch bowls, varying sizes of cocktails and rum shots, what immediately converts here, after a walk through the humble sandwich shop and up a set of stairs, is the magical wonderland interior. I’m not a pink girl, in fact it is my most loathed color, only palatable when paired with something to give it heft, like black or brown. But here, pink entices, teases, even charms. There’s yellows, soft greens, white, a pastel profile I would normally hate, but here becomes a glowing explosion of color.

It plays like old world Havana meets Alice in Wonderland. You have fallen down a candyland rabbit hole and awaiting you are vibrantly fresh cocktails and bowls of rum punch, served in both the restaurant (will have to try next time) and bar area.

I adore their little cardboard-bound menu with old-fashioned drawings and a mix of classics, punches and modern creations. Initial intrigues? The Vesperone ($15) wowed by mixing Zacapa rum with rye whiskey, Green Chartreuse, agave nectar, blackberries and sage leaves. Musky and bright. Rosa Verde ($14) is a salad in a cocktail. I slurped down arugula leaves from a bright, pink glass of Flor de Cana rum, watermelon juice, celery bitters, lime, arugula-infused simple syrup and pink peppercorn.

LA BIBLIOTECA, East 40’s/Midtown East - Again, this just opened a couple weeks before I arrived in the basement of a new restaurant, Zengo. I’d go to Mayahuel (below) for the best tequila cocktails in NY and a hip, festive atmosphere, but La Bibilioteca offers tastings of over 400 tequilas, NY’s biggest selection yet, in an expansive underground lair.

La Bibilioteca is a tequila storage library (similar to, but larger than, SF’s Taverna Aventine) in a subterranean lounge where you are leisurely educated with tequila flights or your server’s suggested tastings. The night I visited, a tequila brand ambassador was giving a tasting, offering further opportunities to educate New Yorkers, who, it was apparent, have barely scratched the surface of the tequila world.

Thankfully, this place is attempting to narrow that gap. Servers are still in the process of beginning to try all they offer, so you may  want to do some research ahead of time and go ready to ask for tequilas you would like to taste (for example, I noticed the Del Maguey line sitting in one cabinet – a fine place to start for mezcals).

But it doesn’t have to be complicated. Their servers are friendly and willing to offer guidance, while the menu offers flights with varying themes. I appreciate the Barrel Aging Tasting ($16) theme, three tequilas aged in different barrels: Don Julio Reposado, the best of the three and one I’m already a fan of (bourbon barrel), Riazul Anejo, with vanilla and caramel notes (cognac barrel), and the interesting, but not necessarily winning, Asombroso Reposado (wine barrel). There’s Anejo flights (mine had Don Julio, Casa Noble, Patron), brand flights where you try reposados through extra anjeos of one particular brand, and so on.

I sipped palate-cleansing shots of their bright tomato sangrita, and best of all, their house Horchata Blanco using Jose Cuervo traditional. Creamy and lush.

Sink back into black couches lining the large room (with touches of red), order guacamole and chips, and get schooled on tequila, New York.

2009 Openings

RAINES LAW ROOM, Flatiron – Opened in early 2009, there is a whiff of pretension when one locates  an unmarked door and hipster doorman (a new guy on his first day). But there is no pretension within. In fact, this is now one of my favorite bars in NY.

The bartenders and staff are relaxed, knowledgeable, willing to explain stories and ingredients behind their recipes. Linger in the brick-walled, elegant main room, on black leather couches, cozy chairs next to the fireplace, pulling little wall buzzers  signaling you are ready to order. This is an elegant, Prohibition-era den evoking a wealthy but approachable friend’s living room.

Head back to The Kitchen where, under pressed tin ceiling and atop a marble butcher block countertop, mixologists concoct drinks as you interact with them.

Most enchanting is the back garden, where herbs used in their drinks are grown. On a warm May evening, candles flickered in Moroccan lamps, lounge chairs inviting me to recline and take in the night air. The garden was refreshingly empty on an early weekend night. An idyllic respite.

The menu runs the gamut from classics (Negronis, Old Cubans), to seasonal (utilizing herbs and produce), to signature house drinks (all $13). There’s even a “Fancy Cocktail” section with elaborate drinks from $16-23.

My visit included a boozy but smooth special of the day, Alice’s Evidence with Asyla scotch, lemon, lime, simple syrup with absinthe rinse, and a signature Harold & Maude: Johnnie Walker Black, Zacapa 23, lemon, rose & lavender syrup, aromatic bitters, shaken and served down. Beauties, all.

Their former doorman is a chocolatier and after expressing interest in his chocolates (listed in the menu; available by the box), our server brought us a couple to sample. Chocolate Meurens are creamy, Belgian-style truffles in flavors like Aztec (cinnamon, cloves, cayenne, anise, orange flower water) and Early Century (absinthe and Grand Marnier).

MAYAHUEL, East Village – Tequila doesn’t flow on the East Coast like it does in California. In fact, our bartender at Mayahuel talked about the difficulty accessing tequilas we are easily able to procure in Cali. But that’s where Mayahuel, from the crew behind Death & Co., steps in.

I’d been eager to visit since I first heard about it’s opening last Spring. The tequila selection is comprehensive with the likes of Del Maguey and Fortaleza stocking the shelves.  The mezcal selection is excellent, bartenders are informed and passionate about spreading the tequila gospel, and the space is a charming, half-underground Mexican bordello with shiny tiles, wrought iron, snug booths, and loads of citrus and herbs lining the bar. If this was in my ‘hood, I’d be a regular.

It made me reflect on the tequila bars we have at home, and though there is no tequila selection to match Tommy’s, I wish we also had a spot like this: tequila in an subterranean, cozy, hip space with top notch cocktails (SF’s Cantina has a superb tequila and South American spirits cocktail menu but the decor is not Mexican, which, gimmicky or not, I love about Mayahuel).

I didn’t eat here, but they have a fun menu of good-looking food. If you’re not sampling straight tequila, there are a slew of fine tequila cocktails. I particularly liked the balanced heat in Herb Alpert ($14 – love the musician’s moniker): El Jimador Blanco infused with jalapeno, mezcal, fresh oregano, lime, and enjoyed a layered Slynx ($13): reposado, bonded applejack, pear & whiskey barrel bitters with a mezcal rinse.

MANHATTAN COCKTAIL CLASSIC – May 14-18

I was one of the lucky ones, spending eight days in NY, my old stomping grounds, for the first annual Manhattan Cocktail Classic, highlighting and celebrating the art of the cocktail and its greatest talents. Or so I thought… I won’t gripe too much, though I will say that despite the stunning transformation of the already gorgeous New York Public Library (NYPL) for the Opening Gala, a scene rife with cocktail luminaries like Dale DeGroff, Audrey Saunders, Dave Wondrich, and some of the country’s best bartenders, the crowds were not quite the cocktailians I expected, and some events were far from what was advertised. For example: at the May 17 “contest” at Keen’s, the competition and notable judges had completely wrapped up and left before the listed START time of the event, leaving only a few cocktails to sample and the incomparably cool, old school Keen’s space to stand around in. Nothing short of false advertising. I could have spent the same money ($50 a ticket) with more exciting results at NY’s great bars.

Let’s recap a few of the best and worst moments of the raucous week that was the 1st annual Manhattan Cocktail Classic:

WORST

1. Starvation – At the Opening Gala, despite spotting Mario Batali, the guy who had supposedly cooked up something special for the night, I never once saw his food. Every other whiff of food was devoured by the time I got near it. In the sweltering heat and humidity inside the NYPL, the one air-conditioned room in the building had a long wait to get in. Once I did, I saw others eating Fatty ‘Cue’s giant legs of meat. An odd “cocktail party” choice, but hilarious to watch others gnaw on a leg with drink delicately in hand. Again, I never got one. Once I finally got to the last table with food, the line was so long it wasn’t worth it, despite food-less hours endured with sips of multiple drinks (many of the fruity, vodka, soda, flavorless kind)… a bite never came until I hit a diner at 2am.

2. Non-Cocktailian Crowds at the Opening Gala – I expected a slew of the country’s and NY’s most hardcore drink fans: the kind that mix Jerry Thomas recipes at home, await Mud Puddle book releases, and value craft and taste above a “scene”. Um, try drunken carousers breaking glasses and leaving trash lying around in the historical NYPL? What about having your photo taken with vodka models? Seriously: you, a bottle of vodka, and sexy models in a brightly lit, LA-style photo shoot. And, yes, there was a long line for this one. Or maybe I’m still just creeped out by the Oompa Loompas or a giant, live Queen Victoria towering over us in the Hendricks’ Gin area (at least there was Charlotte Voisey mixing cocktails below the Queen). I ran into the hardcore, certainly, including many of my SF friends, bartenders and enthusiasts alike. But I was surrounded by the drunken carousers.

3. Events not as advertised – I’ve already mentioned the misleading representation of the cocktail competition at Keen’s and the drunken, packed-to-the-gills mayhem of the Opening Gala where check-in, getting a drink or even entering a room, meant yet another 20 minute wait. And where were the fine cocktails? Several came from our San Francisco crew who manned a number of tables (negronis!) and truly represented, at Dave Wondrich’s station (though his drink had run out by the time I reached the table – one disappointment after another!), and at the playful Willy Wonka-themed candy counter. But the majority of cocktails were forgettable, watered-down, fruity glasses of blandness… and that’s out of four floors of cocktails.

BEST

1. Astor Center bar/bartenders from around the country – The Astor Center was ground zero for many of MCC’s daily events, panels and classes. The best part was having bartenders from all over New York and the country cover varying shifts. I met mixologists from St. Louis, LA, San Fran, Boston, and NY bars like Employees Only, Clover Club and Rye House. Not only did these guys whip up some of the better drinks of the entire event, but they were friendly, chatty, engaging, making the Astor Center feel like your favorite watering hole.

2. The Virgin Room at the Opening Gala – What is normally NYPL’s staid, lovely Periodicals Room became The Virgin Room, a detox refuge in the midst of the body-to-body storm of revelers, ego-tripping bodyguards and completely frazzled staff.

Coolers were stocked with energy drinks while the latest copies of Interview magazine lined the tables. Never mind that one couldn’t find a bit of water anywhere. At least I could read about Madonna staying sexy in her 50’s via lamplight.

3. Gin Masters – Let’s call this third one a tie between the gracious English class and knowledge of master distillers, Desmond Payne (of Beefeater Gin) and Sean Harrison (of Plymouth Gin), at the English Gin Seminar on May 16 where we did a side-by-side tasting of gins, including their own and the just released (unreleased at the time) Beefeater Summer Gin.

4. The Stork Club – At the Opening Gala, one could catch a welcome respite from the oppressive heat of the rest of the building in the rarely seen NYPL basement, dubbed the Stork Club for the night. Thanks, Diageo, for turning the room into a relaxed but funky party with brassy Budos Band and proper cocktails, including a Bulleit Bourbon Mint Julep and a Mary Pickford made with Zacapa 23 year rum.

TOP DRINKS AT MCC

-  Ted Kilgore of Niche Taste Bar in St. Louis is a gracious and skilled bartender who mixed me one of his Niche standards, a Ruby Derby: bourbon, vermouth, agave nectar, grapefruit and Aperol.

-  Matthew Pomeroy, International Brand Ambassador for Wyborowa SA, took Luksusowa Vodka to some happy places with a Polish Fling: 2 parts potato vodka, 1 part egg white, 1 part lemon juice, fresh cucumber and dill. Now all I need is some caviar and blinis. A runner-up was A Smoky Fall: potato vodka, lime, orange juice, spicy ginger beer, and plum jam (normally he uses fig jam).

- At the Astor Center, morning imbibement went down better after starting the day with Duque Spanish Brandy in Orange de Crema French-press coffee with Creme de Alba, Creole Shrubb and an orange slice.

- I couldn’t be unhappy with an Astor Bar cocktail utilizing Don Julio: Don Julio’s Delight. Anjeo and Bulleit Bourbon were shaken with amaretto, lime, agave nectar and egg white. Refreshing and bright.

- More breakfast-y winners at the Astor Bar from Rye House’s Jim Kearns: a Blood Mary trio including a Tabasco Red Snapper, Chipotle Mary and the best: Habanero Bloody Mary (tomato, lemon, Worcestershire, salt, fresh horseradish, pineapple juice, Annie’s habanero sauce, black pepper, jalapeno-infused Don Julio). Paired well with a delicious Crawfish & Andouille Egg Souffle.

This issue’s Top Tastes in DRINK

“Alcohol may be man’s worst enemy, but the Bible says love your enemy.” - Frank Sinatra

COCKTAILS

It’s a special night (10/21) at Cantina (a worthy destination any night) when New York City’s Joaquin Simo, of Death & Co, and Toby Moloney (formerly of Milk & Honey, now running culinary cocktail bars around the country, including Chicago’s one-and-only Violet Hour) guest bartend. All tattoos and friendliness, these guys are cool – and awe-inspiringly adept behind the bar (behold the energy with which Toby shakes a cocktail or the deft discreetness dealt in Joaquin’s lighting of citrus peel). I put full reign in their hands and they delivered every time. Joaquin did his own variation of a bourbon cocktail using Old Overholt Rye instead with Aperol, Peychaud’s bitters, Yellow Chartreuse. Smooth, balanced, sexy. I truly loved his Oaxacan Old Fashioned, a Death & Co staple  with El Tesoro Reposado tequila, a smoky tinge from Los Amantes Joven mezcal, amber agave nectar and Angostura bitters. Toby stopped the show using one of my favorites, Zacapa Rum, with Green Chartruese, lemon, egg white, Angostura, dash of Peychaud’s on top and a Campari rinse. Hello!

WINE

• A New Zealand 2006 Rippon Riesling paired just right with seafood courses at Fleur de Lys: floral and crisp with a slightly viscous texture, it maintains a proper balance of sweet and dry.

•  Wine & Spirits Top 100 event was a swank affair, jazz band, striking atrium, tasty bites from some of SF’s best restaurants and eateries… I couldn’t begin to pick a best out of 100 award-winning beauties from around the world. There was quite a line-up of champagnes and sparklers, wines from Portugal, Chile, Greece, and, of course, Italy, France, California. I immediately took to Australian Penfolds Shiraz and Riesling, Chilean Concha y Toro’s Sauvignon Blanc and Carmenere, a 2005 Joseph Drouhin Puligny-Montrachet, and a 2000 Vilmart Champagne Brut Coeur de Cuvee Premier Cru.

SPIRITS

My first Whiskyfest was a memorable experience. Only held in Chicago, New York and SF annually, it’s a sea of whiskies from around the globe in SF Marriott ballrooms, with distillers and staff from various countries flying out to serve you unlimited tastes (oh, so dangerous). Yes, you must pace yourself, fill up on the buffet of roast beef, pastas and such, and plan strategically from the long list of vendors. Though pricey ($110 a ticket or $150 for VIP hour), out the many events I attend in a year, I find this is one worth saving up for, particularly if you love the brown spirit.

One of the joys of the night was Steve Beal’s Classic Malts class (all classes included with ticket price – line up a little early to secure a seat). Graciously leading us through various regions of Scotland, Steve used photos and stories of the history and production of some key scotches (including distiller’s editions of Glenkinchie, Dalwhinnie, Oban, Lagavulin, Cragganmore, Talisker)… with little glasses of each as we journeyed along.

It is impossible to name favorites so I will list at least a few highlights beyond the more-affordable greats like Oban, multiple years of Caol Ila, and ever-reliable Lagavulin (I enjoyed trying the Distiller’s Edition: super peaty, with notes of brine, sherry wood). Highland Park’s dark 30-year wowed… but the boozy 25-year was not too shabby either. Glenrothes 1975 was a bright blend of fruit and spice, while the 1979 equally delighted. I’d happily imbibe Pappy Van Winkle’s smooth 23 and 20 year bourbons again. Parker’s Heritage 27 year is brilliant – so much going on. See if Malt Advocate’s description doesn’t make you salivate.

And this is just for starters… get thee to next year’s Whiskyfest.

My favorite events this month…

MEATPAPER’S PIG PARTY at Camino

The setting couldn’t be more ideal for a pig party: wood floors, beams and chandeliers, long tables, and a roaring hearth fire with counter big enough to hold a massive pig and all array of homemade sausages, pig tails and terrines. It felt akin to a rustic, British home where we’d come for a heartwarming feast.

Celebrating the Spring issue (pig-focused, natch) of Meatpaper, the definitive meat magazine, the food/drink spread is well worth the $35 fee, though good luck snagging a table and making your way through a body-to-body crowd in the sold out event. I hate things that packed, but the vibe was convivial and Camino’s staff stayed upbeat throughout, even when descended upon coming out of the kitchen carrying Ryan Farr’s gourmet Corn Dogs with mustard sauce (I guiltily admit to being a descender).

Camino’s patient bar staff made a couple house cocktails using sponsors, like Leopold Brothers gin and St. Barths‘ Batiste Rum, while wines (from Pacific Edge), beers (Trumer Pils) and a mild hibiscus juice flowed.

Leif Hedendal created some gorgeous vegetarian offerings in the midst of all the pig, like a bright Snap Pea/Blood Orange salad, Potato Salad and one of my tops, a bright Pea & Mint Crostini. Fatted Calf’s Taylor Boetticher cooked juicy, grilled Crepinettes with Becker Lane Organic Pork wrapped in. His Pork Terrine with spicy mustard on toast was nuanced. Staffan Terje of Perbacco laid out charcuterie, but better was his one-of-a-kind Bacon Marshmallows. Camino’s chef, Russell Moore, made Green Garlic & Herb Sausages (using Prather Ranch pork), and Ryan Farr’s famous Chicharrones were piled in bowls around the room. Smart move. No one could stop eating them.

With quarterly release parties for each issue of the magazine (check their website), there will be more chances to indulge in such a feast. But back at the party, butchery of the hog commenced, its head sitting proudly on the counter, overseeing the festivities.

MINISTRY OF RUM at St. George Distillery/ Hanger One in Alameda

Ministry of Rum… what is that, friends asked? Some cool ministry of spiritual significance, roping in followers with fine rum? Well, that’s not too far from the truth. An event focused on education in cane spirits, specifically rums and cachaças, in the massive airplane hanger of incomparable St. George Distillery, Ministry of Rum tours the country, its focus on “the noble spirit”. Mainly attended by spirits cognoscenti, it was one fine taste after another through the bustling hangar. Thanks to a well-paced crowd, I could talk reasonably with and hear from vendors about their rums, sampling different ages and styles. I heard stories of distilling processes, or in the case of delightful Sergeant Dave Classick himself, of his family who are all involved in running their distillery – his daughter and son poured tastes and mixed cocktails as we chatted.

Despite a number of highlights (El Dorado distills some beauties), I was pleased, as a Bourbon lover (who hasn’t yet met a spirit she didn’t find some good qualities to), to discover a number of sipping rums that would stand beautifully alone, paired with a fine cigar (as the Renaissance Man continued to point out). My tops at first sip: Zacapa’s rum, aged in bourbon, sherry and wine barrels, each barrel imparting another layer to the nuanced rum grown from Guatemalan sugar cane. The color of rich mahogany, it’s dense with woody, vanilla and spiced notes. Another favorite was Mount Gay’s Extra Old Rum from Barbados, one of the oldest rum distillers in existence since 1703. Aged 17 years in toasted oak barrels, it’s smoky but smooth with notes of molasses and oak on the nose.

A major perk of the evening was having some of SF’s best mixologists serving drinks made from each vendor’s rum. The line-up was stellar and they were often educating on the rums they were working with: Martin Cate, Erik Adkins, Brooke Arthur, Thad Vogler, Duggan McDonnell, Marco Dionysos, and so on. Reason enough to go, but all in all, a richly informative night… and sensory delight, the lights of San Fran twinkling in the distance. All this in an airplane hangar.